PRO Nobis Singers continues its 50th anniversary year celebrations with a concert at St Mark's Church, Natland, on Saturday, October 12 (7.30pm).

Choir founder and musical director Clive Walkley said that the programme will feature two new works: "Last year, we asked Adrian Self, composer and organist of Cartmel Priory, to write a new piece for us. Adrian has come up with settings of four poems written by his wife Pam. The sequence is entitled Called Back to Paradise and the four poems are all on the theme of thanksgiving."

The other new concert piece will be the first performance of a fresh work which Clive has penned along with singer, writer and former South Cumbria Poet Laureate, Lucy Crispin: The Song of the Silent Child, a half-hour dramatic cantata. "It's written in the style of a folk tale but, like many folk tales, it has a deeper meaning," explained Clive.

"We are, of course, very excited by the launch of two new works and we hope they will both have an appeal for our audience."

The choir is joined by tenor and bass soloists, Robert Thompson and Jonathan Millican.

Clive and 30-strong Pro Nobis have a great love of music from the 16th and 17th centuries and have an extensive repertoire under their choral belts. They started their celebratory year with a huge concert at Kendal Parish Church in June.

For Clive it all began in 1969 when he was a lecturer in music at the former Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside. He joined Kendal Amateur Music Club and met a group of singers who had been members of a ensemble that had disbanded.

Clive was a trained cellist and had attended conducting classes, specialising in choral conducting. The singers asked him if he would be interested in leading a new group. At first, they met informally at one another’s homes singing madrigals under Clive’s direction. However, the number of singers grew, and they started to appear in concerts at the Kendal music club. Soon after, Pro Nobis was formed and the rest is musical history as they say, with many highly acclaimed performances down the decades of music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods as well as contemporary works and appearances with distinguished names such as Rose Consort of Viols, His Majesty's Sagbutts and Cornetts, Vox Animae, international recorder player John Turner and eminent soprano, Evelyn Tubb, the Pro Nobis president.

Moving on to Christmas and Goodwill to Men, and Peace on Earth will be Pro Nobis Singers' festive offering on December 15 at St Mark's Church.

Admission for the October 12 concert is by programme available from Tourist Information, Finkle Street, Kendal.

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